Netflix and Bingeing Based on Demographics

Shifting from setting a schedule to waiting until episodes are uploaded, it’s apparent that the way television is watched has changed. Netflix is arguably the greatest example of this, as the idea of bingeing has become so common. What is noteworthy as of late is Netflix’s latest series named “Turbo Fast,” an animated show for children. Even more worthy or note, though, is the idea that binge watching an entire season will not be present with “Turbo Fast.”

According to an article on Bloomberg Businessweek, Netflix plans to only release the first five episodes of “Turbo Fast” later this month. Alone, this idea is not out of the ordinary but it’s important to cite how other exclusive series have been structured by comparison. For example, Netflix released the first full season of its exclusive comedy-drama series, “Orange is the New Black,” at once. This meant that it was easier for people to sit down and watch all 13 episodes during a dedicated Saturday. This method is better known as “binge watching.”

Seeing as how “Turbo Fast” is not going to follow a similar formula, one has to wonder what the reasons for this are. First of all, it is worth noting that the way that adults watch shows is very different from how children go about the same activity. Typically, adults have better concentration and it’s easier for them to breeze through entire seasons of television shows, provided they’re engaging enough to sit through. Children, on the other hand, may either struggle with keeping their focus on their shows or will simply watch a particular episode over and over again.

Secondly, it seems like “Turbo Fast,” in particular, is going to be released in batches during the holiday season. Joris Evers, a Netflix spokesperson, said that it was during this time of year “…when kids viewing usually spikes.” The Just for Kids option on Netflix is what drives many parents to keep their subscription going, so it’s up to the company to bring as much content to it as possible. If Netflix was to simply release the entire first season of “Turbo Fast,” perhaps many kids would actually sit down and watch it in its entirety instead of losing focus. If this were to happen, Netflix would play its proverbial trump card too early.

The object of an online marketing company is to focus on given audiences in order to appeal to them. Netflix, because of its focus on multiple audiences given the range of shows and movies it streams, has to do the same. Strategies between children and adults are going to be different, which goes without saying. As it stands, what is most important is making sure that the attention spans tied to both crowds are kept over the course of time.